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Rules
The following rules changes are in effect for the Supers game. Discussion on these rules are welcome! If a Core rule is not addressed on this page, assume the default rules are in place. 'Chapter 1: Hero Creation' Characters start at PL 10, 20 PP/PL. Of this 200 point total, 2 points per level (20) have to be spent on "flavor" traits: certain skills, feats, or powers. This list includes but is not limited to: Skills: Climb, Craft*, Knowledge*, Language, Perform, Profession, Swim; Gamble and Navigate (W&W) Feats: Beginner's Luck, Benefit*, Contacts, Equipment*, Jack of All Trades, Luck**, Well-Informed Powers: Comprehend, Features, Super-Movement* * Only includes uses of the trait that cover "roleplay" or outright inferior gameplay options-- Arcana isn't an acceptable Knowledge since it's used for Artificer and certain investigative checks, and the only Super-Movements allowed are those that are really aren't very good, like Sure-Footed. ** Luck is changed (see Feats). A rank of Luck may be taken as flavor if it's dedicated to a non-combat-related purpose, such as Perfect Timing (from Mecha & Manga) or the "Inspiration" option (see M&M2, p. 122). PL is split offensively and defensively, and you can raise one up to 2 higher than the default PL with a corresponding drop to the opposite. Attack/Defense shifts can't exceed +/-5 (15 Defense/+15 Toughness, for example), even with a PL shift. So a "Wolverine" type could shift to Offensive PL 12/Defensive PL 8 and have +12 attack/+12 damage, but not +8 attack/+16 damage (he's still capped at +15, 5 higher than the default PL of 10). This is to allow some extra variety and shoring up extreme shifts' weaknesses, without allowing, for example, +17 Toughness. Exceeding PL is possible under limited circumstances. First, the ability must be situational (always-on abilities the user himself buys don't count: you can't exceed PL by buying extra ranks of Accurate, for example). Second, it gets prorated in the following way: bonuses beyond PL only grant half their usual benefit, and there is an absolute cap of half again PL (for example, a +5 bonus to one trait at PL 10). Chapter 2: Abilities Fort, Reflex, and Will saves cannot, on average, exceed PL, and aren't affected by any PL shift. For example, at PL 10, the sum of the three saves can't exceed 30, and this cap is in place whether or not you're defense-shifted. Toughness is now split into lethal and nonlethal, and Constitution only applies toward nonlethal Toughness. This change applies to most abilities that affect Toughness (for example, see "Protection" in Powers, below.) This is to set all of the "big four" combat traits (attack/defense/damage/toughness) to cost 2 PP/R now. Attack is unchanged (split into melee and ranged at 1 point/rank each) and neither is effectively damage-- the Damage effect defaults to Ranged rather than Touch, for 2 PP/R. Defense is split into Dodge Defense (1 PP/R) or Perfect Defense (2 PP/R); no longer is half of Defense considered Dodge. Perfect defense represents things like force fields, animate shields, automatic parrying, etc. and is retained under any circumstances (although Power Loss: Helplessness is probably common); Dodge Defense works just as it does in core M&M. It is typical and recommended-- although not required-- that half a character's Defense is dodge-based. Turns are group- rather than initiative-based, so Initiative is most often rolled to resolve simultaneous actions. For example, if a foe readies an action to attack a Move-By Attacking speedster, the speedster will usually swing first (winning the opposed initiative check), but the other guy still gets his attack immediately afterward (unless he was KO'd first or something). 'Chapter 3: Skills' Skills are capped at PL +15. This leaves them higher than "default" opposed stats (like Will vs. Bluff), which is deliberate since the "primary" defense should still be other skills, among other reasons. Languages cost 2 rather than 1 SP apiece-- one for fluency and one for literacy. This is largely moot since languages are flavor now. Escape Artist is changed in regards to the Grapple rules; see Combat below. 'Chapter 4: Feats' Combat-related feats may now exceed PL, although they start doing so at a reduced rate (see above). In light of this rule, situational bonus feats like Favored Enemy are increased to +2 and don't stack (buying extra ranks just lets you apply the bonus to more things). Sneak Attack is unchanged, although note that you may not be able to count it as "situational" if you have a high-Concealment build or something similar. Evasion is removed, replaced with Immunity: Reflex (Area only, Requires Reflex Save). For simplicity's sake their ad hoc cost is 5 points for Evasion and 10 for Evasion 2. Accurate Attack and its kin are now reduced to -2/+2 (from -5/+5), and improve their default uses (such as Aggressive Stance) from -4/+2. Attractive is simply a Limited skill, so it applies to all uses of its assigned skills (for example, an Attractive woman may get a bonus to feint a male enemy), and may be applied to other skills (such as Gather Information and Bluff instead of Diplomacy). Defensive Roll always applies to Toughness and Reflex saves vs. area attacks, rather than one at a time. This makes it slightly optimal (since Toughness now costs 2 PP/R), but losing Toughness while Vulnerable seems severe enough to let it stand. Distract now only dazes for one round, but while maintaining it the affected target must roll Concentration, Sense Motive, or Will to maintain or begin concentration-duration powers. Fearless only applies to interaction skills (or feats, such as Fearsome Presence); immunity to all Fear effects is a 5 PP Immunity. Hide in Plain Sight must be taken once per sensory type affected. Improved Critical changes as follows: each rank increases the threat range by 1, but the damage bonus is lowered at certain intervals. At 18-20, the damage bonus is +5; at 16-20, +4; at 14-20, +3; and at 12-20, +2. Improved Grab allows an immediate grab check (roll to hit, if successful; roll a grapple check to grab) if you successfully hit with the first attack. You can't perform any further grapple maneuvers on the same turn you Improved Grab, and it counts as one of your two allowed attacks that round. Improved Parry is added; it allows you to block as a free action, but your attack bonus can't exceed your ranks in Improved Parry. You still take a -2 cumulative penalty to attack per attack blocked. Improved Cover is added; you may spend a move action and treat adjacent cover as total cover as long as you don't move. The second rank allows you to do this as a free action. Each rank of Improved Cover negates one rank of an attacker's Precise Shot. Interpose is changed to use the cover rules (you grant your target cover against the incoming attack), but you may still attempt to block or deflect the attack before it hits you. You may lower your defense to ensure that you're not missed, as normal. Luck must be specifically assigned to certain Hero Point uses, such as "only to improved reroll" or "only to power Luck Control." The maximum number of Luck ranks allowed is increased to PL, not 1/2 PL. Rage is capped at 3 ranks. Seize Initiative automatically wins initiative checks, and otherwise grants a +2 bonus to the same. Takedown can't grant you more extra attacks in a round than your ranks in basic Attack. Teamwork now grants a fixed +2 bonus to Aid Another checks in combat, and is no longer ranked. The bonus is PL-capped, meaning that Aid Another typically improves from +2 to +3 if the subject is at cap. 'Chapter 5: Powers' The Powers list is too long to pre-emptively list changes. Watch this section for updates as GMs add problem powers to the list. Powers Concealment bestows a -2 penalty to attack rolls as long as it's maintained, due to the difficulty in targeting attacks when unable to see your own limbs and weapons. Deflect works on all projectiles for 1 PP/R; adding Energy attacks makes it 2. Being able to deflect only certain projectiles is now a flaw. (This basically lowers Deflect's cost by 1 PP/R.) Drain is now temporarily ability damage, meaning it can be recovered by Regeneration and Healing effects (instead of just Restorative Boosts). Emotion Control affects one emotion; a +1 extra allows you to choose to affect any of them. Healing is now based entirely on power rank; the target's recovery bonus from other sources doesn't apply. Healing bruises is DC 10, healing staggered or injured is DC 15, healing unconscious or disabled is DC 20, and it's a DC 25 check to heal someone from dying. A healing check only fails if it's too low to remove any damage condition at all; a roll to cure disabled that ends up at 12 can still cure a bruise. Total healing removes the highest condition possible, then subtracts by -5 and removes the highest condition possible then, and so on until expended. Healing is reduced to 1 PP/R, and if appropriate you may add your ranks in Healing to certain Medicine checks. Flight is half the speed of Speed, but your Flight speed doubles when "diving" (descending while double moving, charging, or all-out moving). For all movement powers, note this change: speed based on the T&V table represents full ("double") movement; you may move at half that speed as a single move action. This means that the "simple formula" is 5 ft per 1mph per move action. Immovable: The Unstoppable extra now also grants a +1 bonus per rank to Rush checks, and Overrun checks to trip. Immunity has several changes given the nature of the Supers story. Immunity: Mental is increased to 20, and Immunity: Reflex is decreased to 20. An immunity to a save counts as having that save at PL for the purpose of caps. All Immunities must be GM-approved! Immunity to Aging and similar completely non-combat immunities may count as flavor. Impervious is now its own power, capped at PL but not based on Toughness. (It includes things like "Protection from Normal Weapons" spells and "phase shields" that certain powerful weapons bypass, as well as just superior resilience.) By default it applies only to Toughness Damage effects; it can be applied to another save type as a +1 extra. Mind Control is now a staged effect. This uses the "degree of control" guidelines from UP: failing the Will save allows a controller to suggest actions the subject would consider anyway; failing by 5 or more allows commands the subject wouldn't normally do, but that don't entail risk to himself or his convictions; and failing by 10 or more means the controller has complete control over the subject, although commands that go against a subject's strongest allegiances may be resisted (granting another save). A controller can take Concentration actions to attempt to strengthen control; a failed save strengthens it by one step (or two steps, to total control, if the save fails by 5 or more). Protection now costs 2 PP/R (due to Toughness's cost increase). It includes a "flaw," Invulnerable, which applies to lethal Toughness only (and basically counts as an extra for Con if you want it to apply to both Toughness save types). Regeneration uses the scaling DC for healing damage conditions listed above. Each rank in Regeneration grants a +1 bonus to the recovery check to remove one condition; this stacks with the Recovery bonus granted by your Con (but like the Con bonus it does not apply to Healing). Regeneration heals "backwards" (least severe conditions first). It costs 2 PP/R, which can be Limited to lethal or nonlethal conditions only as a -1 modifier. Regeneration normally requires you to spend one action (move or standard) to "rest." *Add the "Nigh Immortal" power feat, which lets you add your recovery bonus to your Fortitude save to avoid dying. *Add the "Heal Ability Damage" power feat, which allows you to heal 1 point of ability damage with a DC 10 check. Taking this power feat twice grants you "total healing" of ability damage, healing 1 point for every 5 points your Recovery check exceeds DC 10. *Resurrection is a power feat, that as normal grants you a recovery check one week later. You may apply Progression feats to speed this up, as detailed in the power text. You must have this power feat to take the Reincarnation power feat. *Add the "No Rest Required" extra, which is a +1 modifier that removes the... requirement to rest. Power Feats Subtle 2 raises the Notice DC to 30, rather than making it impossible. A GM may allow extra ranks of Subtle, increasing the DC by 10 each time. Subtle is also more limited in its scope, depending on descriptor: subtle projectiles can often be traced to their source by the direction of wounds inflicted or other damage dealt, for example. Add "Signature Power": such a power forces the user to spend a hero point to activate it, but the target (if affected) must roll his save twice and take the lowest result, as per Luck Control. Add "Improved Counter": the power gets a +2 bonus on power checks to counter other powers. Modifiers The "Action" flaw counts as a drawback (-1 PP per step, rather than a -1 flaw) when applied to activated structures, like Alternate Form or Shapeshift. Alternate Save is now a +0 extra regardless of what the original save was, now that the F/R/W saves can be assumed to be at roughly the same value as Toughness. Higher levels of Autofire now also improve its "strafing" ability: you take a -1 per 2 squares with Autofire 2, and -1 per 3 squares with Auto 3. Check Required now typically uses ability (rather than skill) checks to ensure an appropriate failure rate, according the Flaw guidelines below. No Save and similar modifiers now only function if their value is equal than or greater to the trait they oppose. For example, No Save Damage only works if its rank matches or exceeds the target's PL. Penetrating is changed as follows: if a Penetrating attack hits an Impervious target, minimum damage is equal to the ranks of Penetrating or the damage DC, whichever is lower. If the Impervious value is double or higher than the ranks in Penetrating, the attack is still powerless (this models how even armor-piercing handgun rounds can't penetrate tank armor). Perception-range powers may not normally target the Toughness save (Perception Blasts typically target Will if mental or Fortitude if physical). If a GM allows a Perception Damage effect to target Toughness, it should allow a save (typically Reflex) to halve the damage DC. Note that in general, -1 flaws should incur a 25% or so failure rate, while those that fail more than half the time should get a -2 flaw. For example, the "5 uses" use of the Unreliable flaw is worth a -1 modifier; the actual "roll above 10" 50% use of it is a -2 flaw. 'Chapter 6: Characteristics' Some drawbacks are now "full character flaws," meaning they grant 1 PP per PL. This applies to debilitating and iconic drawbacks, such as Superman's Weakness to kryptonite or a werewolf's Vulnerability to silver. (The basic idea here is to make these weaknesses worth more points, so they're not such a sucker's game to take them, even when it's in-genre to do so.) Characters are limited to a total amount of "character drawbacks" worth 2 PP per PL. Heroic Dodge now grants the benefits of Total Defense for free, rather than doubling Dodge bonus (this is both to grant some benefit to those with Perfect Defense, and to not make Dodge users impossible to hit). Add Heroic Resilience: you can immediately "stage down" a damage condition to the next less severe one (a gunshot that would leave you dying instead disables you, for example). This can't be applied to bruise/injury, nor can it be used in conjunction with Reroll. 'Chapter 7: Devices & Equipment' Players are allowed to customize equipment (within reason), especially to represent real-world weapons and armor (like autofire shotguns and special grenade types). "Equipment"-based damage is basically divided into three tiers: human (damage bonuses 1-10), vehicle (10-20), and tactical (20-30+). Man-portable weapons range from knives (+2) to pistols (3-6) and assault rifles (up to 8 or so, with antimateriel rifles bringing up the high end at ~10). Vehicular weapons range from mounted machine guns (8-10 or so), rockets (12), to tank shells (18) and missiles (20). Bombs yield anywhere in the 20-30 range (with nukes probably hitting 35; I'd have to imagine that even PL 20 Kingdom Come Superman was at least Bruised by the one he took), and pretty much no PL 10 hero is going to stand up to an ICBM. 'Chapter 8: Combat' The "denied Dodge bonus to Defense" condition is now called "Vulnerable," and it carries a -2 penalty to Defense on top of that (the -2 is so that there's still some benefit to feinting against even people with all Perfect Defense and no dodge at all). Non-minions may no longer take 10 on attack rolls against minions. Failing a damage save by 1-5 inflicts a bruise (rather than 1-4), then it's 6-10 for bruise + Daze, 11-15 for bruise + stagger, etc. Damage no longer incurs the Stun condition; it's Dazed instead. All failed saves against damage inflict a bruise/injury, even if the result is staggered/disabled. Every PC is effectively allowed up to 2 attacks per turn, regardless of the combination: one standard action attack and one bought down to a free action; two Attack effects linked together; a knockback attack that causes a collision or fall; etc. Extra Effort: Surge adds an extra attack to this limit. In order to make falling an appropriate "link" at PL 10, falling damage is now capped at 10 (of course, sufficiently long falls are Complications that probably require hero points for mundane heroes to survive). Note that starting a grapple counts as an attack, so Improved Grab counts as both attacks for the round. Knockback is now normally only inflicted by attacks that move opponents without damaging them, such as Rush and Slam. Knockback equal to the attacker's Strength bonus can be added to an attack as a Power Feat; Knockback can also use the power's rank as a +1 extra. A subject resists Knockback with Strength. Grappling is changed to put it more in line with other powers. First, the grappler must succeed at a melee attack to grab, as normal. Then, he rolls a grapple check, which is a Strength check (Super-Strength's bonus applies) opposed by another Strength check or Reflex save (Escape Artist may substitute for Reflex, but the bonus is still PL-capped as per a save). You may apply your base attack bonus to your grapple check as well as the attack roll. Grappling checks count as damage for purposes of PL. *The standard options for Grappling still exist unchanged, except that you must now Hold the victim (immobilizing him but no other ill effects) before you can Pin (renders victim helpless and prone, and you immobile and prone). Pin checks are at -4. Improved Pin allows two options: removing the -4 penalty, or allowing you to a pin a foe and remain standing. A second rank grants both benefits. *In addition to hold, Grab On is another new option, available against foes your size or larger. The foe may only roll Reflex or Escape Artist and does not benefit from Size. If you succeed, you climb onto the foe. You are now vulnerable except to your foe and can't use other grappling abilities, but the foe is considered vulnerable to you and grants you cover, and you get a +2 bonus to attack or attempt a chokehold. The victim must grab you with a melee attack before he can continue to grapple you. The GM may rule that the victim grants you cover against himself, if he doesn't have any means to deal with the awkward angle of attack to grab you (such as having Elongation). *Grappling Finesse lets you substitute Dex for Strength for any grapple check. If only if you do so, you are not considered vulnerable when you grapple a foe. *Grappling Mastery is a new feat that grants +2 on Grapple checks, capped at PL (just like Throwing Mastery). *The GM may allow a grappler to take feats that grant minor bonuses, representing a style's specialty. For example, Lucha Libre may grant a +2 on grapple checks to move a foe, while judo might grant a +1 to throw. These option-specific bonuses exceed PL (different styles should be good at different things). Slam damage (+2 or +4) always counts for Knockback. You may instead use a movement power's rank as the damage bonus (PL-limited, as always). You don't need an amount of room equal to one move action to set up the slam like in the default rules, but if you do you get a +2 bonus to damage.